What could you give up and not miss? Is there stuff or an attitude that could be dropped for something better? We have been doing this not only at home, but throughout our business. In the past garden centers we're the places you went for all things related to gardening. Now you can pick up some vegetable starts while shopping at Trader Joe's, pick up trees at Costco, and finish off with fertilizer bought online. Who needs a one stop garden center?

Lot's of garden shops have categories or departments that are relics from the past. Perhaps its that that tool department that always needs dusting, or rose department that always needs pesticide applications? Don't even get me started on that gift department. Some stores do well with their gift department, and others do well with tools, but they might not be for you.

I find it useful to also ask regularly what department, item, or attitude could be discarded to the benefit of the company, and ourselves. We recently went paperless, and it's only made things easier. When we get invoices, business cards, or other papers we need to save they are scanned and stored digitally in "the cloud." I still have the information we need, but without the paper filling up filling cabinets and space. Gifts are another area that never worked for us, so we have no gift department! I don't miss dusting them at all.

It's harder for those of us that have been in the trade for awhile to discard what in the past was a given at a garden store. What department, method, or attitude could you discard right now without hurting business? Better yet what could you discard and improve business? We added a hydroponic/ indoor garden department since it was a needed in our particular region of northern California. The customers have responded, and we live to do business another day! It took the place of an indoor area that in the past would have been used for gift items. Now we don't have to dust as often.